Youtube is not only a platform for video content, but it is also a social network where people interact with each other and with creators, a search engine, and, last but not least, an excellent advertising channel. Youtube, with more than 2 billion active users, is not only a platform for video content but also a social network where people interact with each other and creators, a search engine, and, last but not least, an excellent channel for advertising.
Advertising your business on a platform like this becomes a must to expand and get in touch with users (and potential customers) at times when they are particularly attentive and ready to receive our message, especially while watching content for them, whether it’s from their smartphone or on a smart TV. If you are already familiar with some Google Ads campaigns and have decided to take your business to Youtube, I will show you how to create video campaigns in this article.
Connect Google Ads And Youtube
Before getting to the heart of it, in the next few lines, I’ll explain a step that is optional but not negligible for us advertisers who work with data. You will need a Google Ads account and a Youtube account to start your Youtube advertising business. You can start video campaigns without the two accounts being linked, but I recommend doing so so you have important Google Ads metrics at your fingertips, which I’ll show you later in this article.
First, you need to have the YouTube channel administrator role, then from your channel dashboard, go to “Settings” at the bottom left and then “Channel” and “Advanced settings.” Here you will already see the possibility of linking the channel to your Google Ads account, you will need to enter the account number, and it will be explained to you that once the accounts are linked on Google Ads, you will be able to:
- have access to organic video reach metrics
- use remarketing lists of those who have interacted with your channel
- obtain information on how users who viewed your ads interact
Now all you have to do is log in to your Google Ads account, and from the “Settings” tab in “Linked accounts,” you can approve the connection request. The accounts are now linked. If you already have active campaigns, seeing the new video metrics may take a few hours.
Youtube Ads: How Campaigns Are Created
Selecting a new campaign without an objective and, later, a video campaign allows you to choose from several subtypes depending on what you want to do.
Custom Video Campaigns
If you want to choose the settings and type of ad to run manually, and it’s not a conversion-focused campaign, you can proceed with a custom video campaign. The first setting you’re prompted for is the bid strategy. You can decide whether to pay for each view or interaction of your ad, setting a maximum cost for this event (a view is at least 30 seconds or the entire duration if it is shorter), or setting a cost for every thousand impressions of your ad. The second setting you will find is about budget and dates.
You can set a total budget for the campaign if it must be active for a certain period. Otherwise, enter a daily budget. After setting networks, language, and location according to the needs of your campaign, you will find the possibility to add up to five related videos that will appear together with your ad to complete it and invite the user to find out more about your brand, your services or your products. For the video to be inserted, it must be uploaded to youtube and visible. It is impossible to upload videos directly from your PC. If you don’t want them to be found by the staff, just set the visibility as “not in the list.”
After choosing the related videos, you can link your product feed to the video ads. In this way, while watching the video, you can also see the profiles of your products. When you upload the video you have chosen to show as a video ad, you have to choose whether to create a skippable in-stream ad or a youtube in-feed ad. In the first case, after watching the first 6 seconds, you can decide whether to continue watching or skip it. In-feed ads, conversely, appear as thumbnail images in search results, related videos, or on the Youtube homepage, making it easier to discover new content.
The other type of ad you can create from here is the bumper ad, a type of video ad that lasts 6 seconds or less. Skippable bumpers and in-streams appear before, during, or after the user-selected content. After entering the landing page and a call to action, all you have to do is enter a maximum CPV or CPM, depending on your chosen strategy, and then create the campaign. You’ll only be able to use the Max CPM strategy for bumper ads and for in-feed ads, only the Max CPV strategy. You can place multiple ads and multiple ad groups within the same campaign.
Also Read: Microsoft Ads: When Is It Convenient?